diff --git a/frontend/.env.example b/frontend/.env.example
index a451b77..9f61495 100644
--- a/frontend/.env.example
+++ b/frontend/.env.example
@@ -4,6 +4,11 @@ BACKEND_URL=http://localhost:8000
 # Supported as a deployment-compatible fallback for existing environments.
 NEXT_PUBLIC_BACKEND_URL=http://localhost:8000
 
+# Optional public backend origin used only for the unauthenticated health
+# probe that wakes a sleeping Render service. Login and private data requests
+# continue through BACKEND_URL and the same-origin frontend proxy.
+NEXT_PUBLIC_BACKEND_WAKE_URL=http://localhost:8000
+
 # Same-browser WordPress launcher used only when the app is opened outside the
 # [calorieapp_embed] page. Keep this on the canonical CalorieToken site.
 NEXT_PUBLIC_WORDPRESS_APP_URL=https://calorietoken.net/calorieapp/
diff --git a/frontend/components/FoodSearchPlaceholder.tsx b/frontend/components/FoodSearchPlaceholder.tsx
index a4dbfce..2a9908e 100644
--- a/frontend/components/FoodSearchPlaceholder.tsx
+++ b/frontend/components/FoodSearchPlaceholder.tsx
@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@ import {
 } from "@/components/authEvents";
 import type { AuthStateChangedDetail } from "@/components/authEvents";
 import {
+  BACKEND_WAKE_BASE_URL,
   backendRequest,
   backendUnavailableMessage,
   waitForBackendReady,
@@ -372,7 +373,7 @@ export function FoodSearchPlaceholder() {
     );
 
     try {
-      await waitForBackendReady(BACKEND_BASE_URL, controller.signal);
+      await waitForBackendReady(BACKEND_WAKE_BASE_URL, controller.signal);
       setSearchStatus("Searching foods...");
 
       const response = await backendRequest(
diff --git a/frontend/components/XamanLoginPanel.tsx b/frontend/components/XamanLoginPanel.tsx
index a0e5ab7..24705e5 100644
--- a/frontend/components/XamanLoginPanel.tsx
+++ b/frontend/components/XamanLoginPanel.tsx
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@
 import { useCallback, useEffect, useRef, useState } from "react";
 import { announceAuthState } from "@/components/authEvents";
 import {
+  BACKEND_WAKE_BASE_URL,
   backendRequest,
   backendUnavailableMessage,
   BackendRequestTimeoutError,
@@ -332,7 +333,7 @@ export async function prepareEmbeddedLogin(
     throw signal.reason ?? new Error("Login cancelled");
   }
   onProgress("waking-up");
-  await waitForBackendReady(BACKEND_BASE_URL, signal);
+  await waitForBackendReady(BACKEND_WAKE_BASE_URL, signal);
   return startLoginWithRetry(signal, onProgress, retryWindowMs);
 }
 
@@ -699,10 +700,10 @@ export function XamanLoginPanel() {
         }
       }, 8_000);
 
-      // Keep the mobile browser on the CalorieApp origin while Render wakes.
-      // A direct cross-origin health request can be blocked by browser privacy
-      // controls before the WordPress/Xaman navigation has even started.
-      await waitForBackendReady(BACKEND_BASE_URL, controller.signal);
+      // Wake Render directly from the browser. Requests relayed from the
+      // frontend Render service can be rate-limited without starting the
+      // sleeping backend; the health probe is public and sends no credentials.
+      await waitForBackendReady(BACKEND_WAKE_BASE_URL, controller.signal);
       window.clearTimeout(startupNoticeTimer);
       startupNoticeTimer = null;
       setLoginStatus("Service ready. Opening Xaman...");
diff --git a/frontend/lib/backendRequest.ts b/frontend/lib/backendRequest.ts
index e91a4ec..384d48d 100644
--- a/frontend/lib/backendRequest.ts
+++ b/frontend/lib/backendRequest.ts
@@ -1,6 +1,13 @@
 export const DEFAULT_BACKEND_TIMEOUT_MS = 20_000;
 export const DEFAULT_BACKEND_WARMUP_TIMEOUT_MS = 180_000;
 
+// Render may not wake one free service from another free service's proxy
+// request. In production this public URL lets the browser wake the backend
+// directly with the unauthenticated health probe; all application requests
+// continue to use the same-origin proxy.
+export const BACKEND_WAKE_BASE_URL =
+  process.env.NEXT_PUBLIC_BACKEND_WAKE_URL?.trim() || "/api/backend";
+
 const BACKEND_WARMUP_ATTEMPT_TIMEOUT_MS = 70_000;
 const BACKEND_WARMUP_INITIAL_RETRY_DELAY_MS = 5_000;
 const BACKEND_WARMUP_MAX_RETRY_DELAY_MS = 30_000;
diff --git a/tools/tests/xaman_login_start_retry.test.mjs b/tools/tests/xaman_login_start_retry.test.mjs
index 0073182..ecfbdb4 100644
--- a/tools/tests/xaman_login_start_retry.test.mjs
+++ b/tools/tests/xaman_login_start_retry.test.mjs
@@ -83,6 +83,7 @@ test("login start retries transport errors and transient responses", async () =>
       }
       if (specifier === "@/lib/backendRequest") {
         return {
+          BACKEND_WAKE_BASE_URL: "https://backend.example",
           backendRequest,
           backendUnavailableMessage: (_error, fallback) => fallback,
           BackendRequestTimeoutError: TestBackendRequestTimeoutError,
@@ -169,14 +170,15 @@ test("embedded login wakes the backend before creating login state", async () =>
       }
       if (specifier === "@/lib/backendRequest") {
         return {
+          BACKEND_WAKE_BASE_URL: "https://backend.example",
           backendRequest: async () => {
             events.push("login-start");
             return loginResponse;
           },
           backendUnavailableMessage: (_error, fallback) => fallback,
           BackendRequestTimeoutError: TestBackendRequestTimeoutError,
-          waitForBackendReady: async () => {
-            events.push("backend-ready");
+          waitForBackendReady: async (backendUrl) => {
+            events.push(`backend-ready:${backendUrl}`);
           },
         };
       }
@@ -201,7 +203,10 @@ test("embedded login wakes the backend before creating login state", async () =>
     10_000
   );
 
-  assert.deepEqual(events, ["backend-ready", "login-start"]);
+  assert.deepEqual(events, [
+    "backend-ready:https://backend.example",
+    "login-start",
+  ]);
   assert.deepEqual(phases, ["waking-up"]);
   assert.equal(result.state, "state-abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz-0123456789");
 });
@@ -244,6 +249,7 @@ test("embedded login does not report progress after cancellation", async () => {
       }
       if (specifier === "@/lib/backendRequest") {
         return {
+          BACKEND_WAKE_BASE_URL: "https://backend.example",
           backendRequest: async () => {
             events.push("login-start");
           },